Ear protector

ABSTRACT

An ear protector wherein a generally flat mounting plate is sized and configured to extend beyond a wearer&#39;&#39;s ear entirely thereabout and provided centrally with an inwardly depressed region having a through opening. Headband connection means connects to the plate through the opening, while a resiliently compressible endless head engaging formation extends peripherally about the plate and sound attenuating sheet means extend across the plate within the bead.

United States Patent Simpson et al. Mar. 5, 1974 EAR PROTECTOR 2,989,598 6/1961 Touger et al 179/182 R [75] Inventors: Jack N. Simpson, Sinking Spring;

Hem Ruck, Morton; Charles 3,456,263 7/1969 Aileo 2 209 Bowers, Jr., Glenn Mills, all of Pa.

Assignee: The Fibre-Metal Products Company,

Chester, Pa.

Filed: May 4, 1972 Appl. No.: 250,131

[52] U.S. Cl. 2/209, 179/182 [51] Int. Cl l-l04r UN [58] Field of Search 2/209, 8; 179/156, 182

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,728,741 4/1973 Lepor 2/209 2,545,552 3/1951 Leeming 2/209 Primary ExaminerJordan Franklin Assistant ExaminerPeter Nerbun [5 7 ABSTRACT An ear protector wherein a generally flat mounting plate is sized and configured to extend beyond a wearers ear entirely thereabout and provided centrally with an inwardly depressed region having a through opening. Headband connection means connects to the plate through the opening, while a resiliently compressible endless head engaging formation extends peripherally about the plate and sound attenuating sheet means extend across the plate within the bead.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 5 74 SHEEI 2 OF 2 EAR PROTECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While there have, in the past, been proposed a wide variety of ear protector constructions, as for use in high noise industrial areas, usually of the ear muff type, these prior devices have not been entirely satisfactory, especially by reason of excessive size, and concomitant weight, bulk and cost. For example, in prior muff type ear protectors, the size has effectively precluded use in conjunction with welding helmets, face shields and safety caps without substantial sacrifice in sound attenuation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide an ear protector structure which overcomes the above-mentioned difficulties, being of the circumaural or muff-type which is relatively compact so as to occupy a minimum of space when worn, as for conjoint usage with welding helmets, face shields and safety caps without modifications of any of the components.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ear protector having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is staunch and durable in construction, highly effective in sound attenuation, reliable throughout a long useful life, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ear protector of the present invention and illustrating the several parts thereof.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the operative association of an overhead strap with the instant ear protectors.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, a muff-type ear protection device of the present invention is there generally designated 10, and is shown in position on the head 11 of a user. Also illustrated in conjoint usage with the ear protection device is a welding helmet 12, to show the advantageous relationship of the latter with the ear protectors.

The welding helmet 12 may be entirely conventional, including a protective shield 13 and a shield mounting head gear or suspension 14. The shield or shell 13 is illustrated as transparent for clarity, but may be otherwise. The head suspension 14 may conventionally include an adjustable nape strap 15, having an adjustment knob 16.

The ear protector structure 10 may include a pair of earmuffs or ear covering assemblies 17 interconnected by an adjustable nape band 18 extending rearwardly beyond the wearers head, and further interconnecting the muffs I7 is an overhead strap or band 19.

The earmuffs 17 are in circumaural noise attenuating relation with respect to the wearers ears and effectively held in comfortable engagement with the wearers head by the nape band 18. Supported against gravity by the overhead band 19, the entire ear protector structure 10 is firmly maintained in operative position. By the relative shallowness or minimal projection from the wearers head, the muffs 17 are capable of being located interiorly of a welding helmet, face shield, safety cap, or the like, without obstructing or otherwise interferring with usage of the same.

More specifically, each earmuff 17 includes a generally flat mounting plate 30, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the mounting plate being generally trapezoidal in configuration and sized for its usage arrangement in facing relation with a wearers ear and extending beyond the ear about the entire periphery of the plate. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, the normal use position of mounting plate 30 is in facing relation with a wearers ear and the mastoid region, the plate being sized so as to extend beyond the ear about the entire plate periphery.

In practice, the mounting plate 30 may advantageously be fabricated of plastic, as by conventional molding procedures, or otherwise fabricated of any suitable material, as desired. A peripheral rigidifying flange or land 31 is formed on the plate 30, on the inner or ear facing side thereof, as for enhanced stiffness with minimum weight and size.

Generally centrally of the mounting plate 30, entirely within the circumferential marginal land 31, there is formed a generally spherical, concavo-convex wall region 32. The sperhical, medial wall region 32 is depressed inwardly, so as to have its convex surface 33 on its inner or ear facing side, and its concave surface 34 on its outer, exterior side. Thus, the medial spherical wall region 32 may be considered as depressed inwardly toward the wearers ear, as will appear more fully hereinafter. Further, centrally of the concavoconvex medial region 32, there is formed a through opening 35 of generally circular configuration.

An endless bead or wall 40, say of somewhat trapezoidal polygonal configuration, extends about the peripheral margin of the mounting plate 30 on the inner side thereof, as along the circumferential land 31. The head engaging endless bead or wall 40 may be of any suitable construction having the requisite resilient compressibility, being shown for purposes of illustration as composed of a generally tubular formation 41 of flexible plastic sheeting, which tubular formation is conformably occupied or filled with plastic foam 42. A circumferential or endless lip 43 extendsentirely about the tubular formation 41 and onto the other or outer side of the mounting plate 30, to effectively retain the head engaging bead 40 in position on the mounting plate.

Extending across the opening or space within the endless bead 40 is suitable sound attenuating sheeting 45, which may assume various specific structures, and is shown for purposes of illustration as including a foam sheet 46 and a fabric sheet 47. The foam sound absorbing or attenuating sheet 46 extends over and across the generally spherical wall region 32, in facing engage ment therewith, while the fabric sound attenuating sheet 47 extends in facing engagement with the foam sheet on the inner or ear side thereof. As best seen in FIG. 3, the acoustic sheet means 45 extends entirely across the space within the polygonal or endless head engaging bead 40, and further is contoured conformably to the concavo-convex plate wall region 32 so as to protrude partially into the ear space within the bead. The peripheral margins of the acoustic sheet means 45 extend in sandwiched relation between the mounting plate 30 and the bead 40, being frictionally retained therebetween.

The nape band 10 includes a connection assembly 50 located within the recess or concavity of the medial plate region 32 on the outer side thereof. Specifically, the nape band connection means 50 includes a stiff arcuate sheet 51 in facing engagement with the inner convex surface 33 of region 32, being interposed between the latter and the acoustic sheet means45. Projecting from the stiff arcuate sheet 51, on its concave side for passage spacedly through the opening 35-, is a hollow or tubular projection or stud 52. The stud 52 has its interior hollow 53 opening outwardly, see H6. 5, and is of noncircular configuration. A cap 54 is engaged over the stud 52 within the concavity of medial wall region 32 and includes a peripheral skirt 55 engageable with the concave surface 34. Formed centrally within the cap 54 and projecting nonrotatably into the hollow 53 of stud 52 is an internally threaded conformably configured extension or shank 56. A threaded fastener or screw 57 extends through the sheet into threaded engagement within the shank 56, so as to releasably maintain the sheet 51 and the skirt 55 of cap 54- in clamping engagement with the respective surfaces 33 and 34 of the medial region 32. Of course, the nape band connection means 50 is adjustably positionable within the limits imposed by movement of the stud 52 within the central opening 35.

While only a single earmuff structure has been described, it will be appreciated that the pair of earmuffs are essentially identical differing only in hand.

However, the earmuffs of each pair are adjustably connected together by means of the resiliently stiff, extensile and contractile nape band 18, which may consist of a pair of spring strips 60 and 61 in end to end overlapping engagement with each other, having end apertures, as at 62, and provided with a closely conforming flexible cover or sheath 63 frictionally maintaining the strips in any selected position of adjustment and further serving to damp or attenuate the transmission of sound to a wearers ears. The connection of each earmuff structure 17 to a respective end of the nape band 18 is best seen in FIG. 3, wherein the band end opening 62 is illustrated in position receiving the shank 56 and releasably clamped in position between the cap 54 and outer end of extension or stud 52.

In order to comfortably maintain the ear protector assembly in position on a wearers head, the mounting plates 30 may each be provided in an upper region with a fastener element or button 65. The overhead band 19 may include a flexible strap 66 adjustably provided on its opposite ends with a pair of connector elements 67 each provided with a keyhole slot 68 for detachable connection to a respective button 65.

Further aiding in comfortable support of the head protector structure 10, may be a hook 70 connected to a medial region of nape band 18 and upstanding therefrom for hooked engagement over the adjustment button l6, as seen in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the device of the present invention provides a unique structure of muff-type ear protector which is extremely compact for unencumbered usage in conjunction with other headworn devices, such as welding helments, face shields,

safety caps and the like, and which otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A relatively flat, compact car protector comprising a generally flat outer plate for location with one side inwardly facing toward a wearers ear, said plate having an outline configuration and sized to cover and extend beyond the ear about the entire plate periphery, said plate having a generally spherical concavo-convex medial region spaced inwardly from the plate periphery defining a protrusion on said one plate side protruding inwardly toward a wearers ear and a cavity on the outer side facing away from the wearers ear surrounded by a flat peripheral margin, said region having a central through opening spaced within the outline configuration of said spherical medial region, head band connection means extending through said opening and adjustably engaging said medial region for se- 7 lective positioning of said plate, a resiliently compressible endless bead secured on said one plate side extending entirely about the peripheral plate margin for surrounding the ear and conformably engaging the wearers head, and sound absorbing sheet means on said one side of said plate extending entirely across the space within said endless head, said sheet means assuming the convex configuration of said protrusion, with its central portion within said bead.

2. An ear protector according to claim I, said sheet means being of constant thickness and having its edge margins extending in full thickness sandwiched relation between said bead and the peripheral margin of said plate.

3. An ear protector according to claim 1, said sheet- 

1. A relatively flat, compact ear protector comprising a generally flat outer plate for location with one side inwardly facing toward a wearer''s ear, said plate having an outline configuration and sized to cover and extend beyond the ear about the entire plate periphery, said plate having a generally spherical concavo-convex medial region spaced inwardly from the plate periphery defining a protrusion on said one plate side protruding inwardly toward a wearer''s ear and a cavity on the outer side facing away from the wearer''s ear surrounded by a flat peripheral margin, said region having a central through opening spaced within the outline configuration of said spherical medial region, head band connection means extending through said opening and adjustably engaging said medial region for selective positioning of said plate, a resiliently compressible endless bead secured on said one plate side extending entirely about the peripheral plate margin for surrounding the ear and conformably engaging the wearer''s head, and sound absorbing sheet means on said one side of said plate extending entirely across the space within said endless bead, said sheet means assuming the convex configuration of said protrusion, with its central portion within said bead.
 2. An ear protector according to claim 1, said sheet means being of constant thickness and having its edge margins extending in full thickness sandwiched relation between said bead and the peripheral margin of said plate.
 3. An ear protector according to claim 1, said sheet means comprising sheets of foam and fabric.
 4. An ear protector according to claim 1, said head band connection means being located in the cavity of said medial region to minimize projection from the wearer''s head. 